Fruit-basket.



N0. 649,467. Patented May I5, I900. G. MILLER.

FRUIT BASKET.

(Application filed July 27, 1699.)

(No Model.)

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Urrs; TATES PATENT QFFIGE.

GEORGE MILLER, OF IIOLSTEIN, MICHIGAN.

FRUIT-BASKET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 649,467, dated May 15, 1900.

Application filed July 2'7, 1899- Serial No. 725,269. (No model.)

To all 1071,0727, it may concern:

. Be it known that I, GEORGE MILLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Holstein, in the county of Oceana and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Fruit- Basket, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates tocertain new and useful improvements in fruit or berry boxes or baskets which are composed of thin wood veneers crossing each other at right angles on the bottom and having their turned-up sides united at the top. The upper edges of these boxes or baskets have been united in various ways to insure strength and sufficient rigidity, but all have been more or less expensive, inconvenient in application, and ofttimes ineffective for the purpose.

One object of the present invention is to produce a knockdown veneer box or basket adapted to be reduced to compact form for storage or reshipment and afterward held or arranged in containing condition in a positive manner by the use of removable fastenings of a simple and inexpensive character, and, further, to apply a handle for convenience in carrying the same.

Other objects and advantages Will appear in the following description and be pointed out in the claims; and the preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein corresponding reference characters are used to indicate similar parts in the several views, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a box or basket embodying the features of the invention and shown arranged for use. Fig. 2 is a crosssectional view of the device as shown by Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the corner securing clip or fastening.

and in the present instance the .upper edge of each side,extending from the under bottom portion, has a handle 3 removably connected thereto, which is preferably formed of wire and stiff enough to resistconsiderable weight, and thereby preserve its shape. As shown, the edge of each side is reinforced by being doubled over, as at 4:, and secured by a staple or double-pointed tack 5, one of the latter being su fficient. This reinforce construction of the sides affords a firmer bearing for the ends of the handle 3, and, if desired, the said ends of the handle may be connected up to the opposite edges directly below the single securing-staple,- which would produce a still stronger attachment and as clearly shown by Fig. 1. I

The upper contiguous corners of the sides are connected by removable clips 6, which comprise retaining members 7 and upstanding arms 8, having inturned terminal hooks 9. The retaining members 7 of the clips are straight and have opposite inward deflections 10 running to the points of conjunction with the arms 8, and the terminal hooks 9 are thus disposed at an angle corresponding to the edges of the sides over which they are fitted, and likewise the deflections also bear flatly against the outer surfaces of the doubledover' portions 4. When the sides are connected by the clips, they are slightly slanted outwardly, thereby leaving open corners, and the retaining members 7 stand across the open spaces. The terminal hooks 9, together with the arms 8, frictionally bear against the upper edges of the sides on which they are fitted, and the deflect-ions 1O bind against the said edges and prevent shifting or movement of the clips and loosening of the sides.

In knocked-down condition the parts of the basket lie flat, and being of equal length one is placed upon the other, and by this means a great number of baskets or lengths for mak ing the same can be stored or packed within a small compass for shipment and when so arranged will be accompanied by the necessary number of clips and handles and may be quickly set up in operative or containing condition. The clips are inexpensive, as they are preferably made of wire, and may be given the required shape by any suitable mechan ism. The doubled-over edges 4: will also be secured at the time of manufacture of the lengths of which each basket is composed, and when the handles are applied they will be prevented from becoming disconnected when the baskets are filled by the expansion of the sides by the contents.

Instead of Wood-veneer lengths paper, paper composition, or other suitable material may be employed and the size and proportions ot the basket and its parts may be varied at will, and changes in the minor details of construction can also be resorted to without departing from the scope or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is 1. In a fruit-basket of the character set forth, the combination of straight lengths of material adapted to have their extremities turned up to form surrounding sides, the op posite end edges of the said lengths being doubled over equally from one side to the other and in an outward direction, staples inserted through the central portion of the said doubled-over edges and arranged at an angle thereto, and a wire bail having its extremities removably fitted in the doubled-over edges of two of the sides at points immediately below the location of the staples, the angular position of the staples preventing breaking away of the doubled-over portions of the two sides to which the bail extremities are connected.

2. As an improved article of manufacture, a clip for a fruit-basket or analogous device, having a retaining member merging into opposite, inwardly-extending deflections continuous with vertical arms provided with instanding terminal hooks which have a downward direction.

3. In a fruit-basket of the character set forth, the combination of straight lengths of material adapted to have their extremities turned up to form surrounding sides with intervening open corner-spaces, and clips removably fitted over the upper or edge portions of the said sides across the corners, and

each consisting of a retaining member merging into opposite inwardly-extending deflec-' tions continuous with vertical arms provided with instanding terminal hooks which have a downward direction to embrace the upper edges of the sides, the retaining member extending across the corner below'the said upper edges.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE MILLER.

v Witnesses:

, O. L. CHURCHILL,

A. Z. Moons. 

